Tobe Nwigwe has yet to run out of ammo for his #GetTwistedSundays #Cincoriginals campaign. Each week, he has dropped off a new video complete with coordinated costuming, complex choreography, stunning scenery, and a complete breakdown of his songs’ often complicated lyrics like clockwork, oftentimes bringing in high-profile guests to highlight his own lyrical inventiveness. This week’s video features Houston’s Killa Kyleon, putting a rapid-fire verse on “Cujo.”
The video also includes some nods to Tobe’s heritage, with an older woman in traditional clothes delivering the hook, a quote by Bruce Lee. “Be formless, shapeless like water,” she says, capping the exhortation with the Igbo word “Ighotago,” which means, “Do you understand?” The quote, which means to be flexible and avoid getting trapped in a rigid mindset, perfectly describes Tobe’s approach to music. Although he’s a truly gifted rapper, he’s been known to perform songs with almost no raps in them.
He also doesn’t adhere to the traditional business model of building a buzz, releasing an album, or signing to a label. Throughout his breakout 2020, he’s found innovative ways to approach music, settling on his current release strategies while eschewing the stereotypical rapper presentation. His family is heavily involved in his work, flying counter to the trend of rappers in committed relationships projecting themselves as players, and while he embraces some gun talk, it’s more often in service of self-defense than revenge for fallen friends. By swimming upstream — and being willing to take on many forms, Tobe has redefined success in a year when the music business has had to reckon with what success looks like without the usual means of generating profit.
Watch Tobe Nwigwe’s “Cujo” video above.
